Illuminated sign.



PATENTED AUG. 30, 19-04.

J. I'IO'ICHNER. ILLUMINATED SIGN. APPLICATION FILE}? JUNE 9, 1904 N0MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 30, 1904.

PATENT OF CE.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 769,138, dated. August30, 1904.

7 Application filed June 9, 1904. Serial No. 211,774- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J osErH HOTOHNER, a resident of the city ofProvidence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof,.reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates-to illuminated signs, and has for its object toconstruct raised let-- ters or characters having a hollow center portioncovered with a translucent material and attach the same to thegroundwork of signs. Characters thus constructed allow the light toshine through their centerportion from theback by night and give theappearance of solid carved characters by day.

Another object is to construct the raised portion of the characterby'securing strips of material, such as molding or the like, to thegroundwork around its edge, thus forming the outline of the character,and covering the center portion with gauze wire. Said center portion maybe gilded the same as the rest of the character, if desired, and throughit light may shine for the purpose of illuminating the sign at night.Thus the characters are made to present a handsome and rich appearanceby day and are capable .of being brilliantly illuminated by night bymeans that are entirely concealed and awayfrom the action of the windand weather.

- With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my illuminated sign,showing the letter H with its center portion covered with gauze wire.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ofsaid sign on line 2 2 of Fig. 1,showing a double sign or a sign with letters on two of its faces. Fig. 3is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showinga sign with letters on one face only and with means for re fleeting andscreening. the lights so they can- 1, showing the hollow center portionof the letter and means for holding said letter to the 'backing, alsoshowing the gauze wire across the outer face of the letter and means forsecuringthe same.

In the drawings, 1 in Figs. 1 and 2 is the background, formed into theshape, preferably, of a thin hollow box having two broad flat faces andwhich may be constructed of wood or other suitable material. On two ofthe faces of this box are secured raised characters, the letter I-Ibeing shown inthe drawings. This letter is formed in outline on thebacking 1 by strips of molding 2 or the like, having beveled edges, saidstrips being secured to said backing by screws 3 or other suitablefastenings. Across the top face of this letter is secured gauze wire 4or other similar translucent material,.wh1ch is held in place around thetop edge of said letter by screws or nails, the heads of said fasteningsthen being covered by the molding 5.

At 6 is an aperture or opening made through the groundwork for theadmission of light to the center portion of the letters from within thebox.

, Fig. 3 shows another form of sign with the letter on one face only.The background of this sign is also made in the form of a thin boxwithin which and on each of its two sides are placed a row of electriclights 7 7. Over these lights are placed reflectors 8 8, which alsoserve as a screen, so they cannot be seen through the gauze-wire facefrom without.

These reflectors throw the light from said lamps toward the center ofthe hollow box and through the apertures 6, causing the face of theletter to be brilliantly illuminated.

It is found in practice that the light as it comes through the apertures6 into the hollow portion of the letters is diffused by the fine meshofthe gauze wire, and the light is nicely distributed over the face of theletter. My construction of an illuminated sign is extremely simple,inexpensive, and practical. By the arrangement of lights within thehollow box and the reflector behind them the light thrown into thecenter of the letter,

IOO

. tion will not warp or-break, as the molding that forms their outlinealways runs lengthwise of the grain. The raising of these letters is adistinct, novel, and valuable feature. The effect of this constructionon an illuminated sign is very striking, and its advantages as anadvertising medium over the old method of illuminating is at onceapparent.

I am not claiming, broadly, in this application the use of thetranslucent material covering the hollow portion of the characters, assame is claimed in my application for patent Serial No. 205,766, filedApril 30, 1904.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a backing, characters raisedin outline on said backing forming a hollow center portion, andtranslucent material covering the outer face of the hollow centerportion of said characters for the purpose of illuminating the same fromthe back thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, a backing, a character raisedin outline by strips of material placed around its outer edge, saidstrips being secured to said backing forming a hollow center portionbetween the said strips, translucent material covering the outer gauzewire covering the outer face of said hollow center portion for thepurpose of giving said character the appearance by day of being solid,raised and carved and also to admit light therethrough by night from theback.

5. In a device of the character described, characters raised in outlineforming a hollow center portion and translucentmaterial covering theouter face of the hollow center portion of said characters for thepurpose of illuminating the same from the back thereof.

6. In a device of the character described, a backing, characters raisedin outline on said backing forming a hollow center portion, translucentmaterial covering the outer face of the hollow center portion of saidcharacters for the purpose of illuminating the same from the backthereof, and reflectors around the edges of the characters to hide thelamps and throw the light through the hollow center portion of saidcharacters.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my, hand this lth day of June,A. D. 190;.

JOSEPH H O'ICHNER.

In presence of-- HowA'ni) E. BARLOW, E. I. OGDEN.

